Lock for well-casing elevators



Um. M, K924- v c. E. WIILCOX LOOK FOR WELL CASING ELEVATORS Filed Jan. 29. 1321 Fatented @ct. 1d,, T9240 cuannm n. wntcon, or eneznnnu, camronnm, assrenon'ro n. c. a 1-1 nnennns, canrronma.

LOCK FOR WELL-CASING ELEVATORS.

Application filed January 29, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES E. Wrnoox, a citizen of the United States, residing in Anaheim, county of Orange, State of Calitornia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Looks for Well-Casing Elevators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has to do with pipe or cas-- ing elevators such as are used in connection with oil and water wells etc, and it is an object of the invention to provide a simple, efiective and reliable device of this char.-

acter.

lit is a particular object of this invention to providemeans, in connection with a casing engaging structure embodying a plurality of relatively moving parts, to securely and positively lock the parts around the casing so that there is no liability of them being released when in operation.

A noteworthy feature of the invention is the provision ofia simple and eiiective construction and arrangement by which the objects of the invention are carried out. The structure is such as to be durable, simple, and reliable in operation.

The various objects and features of the invention will be best and more clearl understood from the following detaile description of a preferred embodiment of the invention throughout which reference is bad to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a plan section of a typical casing. elevator embodying the present invention, being a sectional view. taken immediately above the casing engaging structure of the elevator, as indicated by line 1-1 on 2; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1 being a view taken as indicated by line 22 on Fig. 2; Fig. 3 is a detailed sectional view taken as indicated by line 3--3 on Fig. 2 showing the latch device, and the positive locking device; and Fig. 4 is a sectional view similar to Fig 1 showing'the latch device set and the pcsitive locking device actuated or set to positively lock the latch device. I

Throughout the drawings numeral 10 designates the casing engaglng' structure to which supporting links 11 connect. In the particular elevator which T illustrate to ta cilitate a clear disclosure of my mvention the. casing engaging structureflO is tor-med Serial No. M0332.

with notches 12 which carry the links 11.

The notches 12 are of such size and configuration and the links 11 are so shaped and proportioned that the points of contact between the links and the structure 10 are as close as possible to the center of load carried by the elevator, and are such that the links 11 can be placed in and removed from the notches 12 when in certain positions and properly manipulated. The details of the notches and links, etc, are more fully set forth and are claimed in my co-pending ap plication entitled Well casing elevators, filed on even date herewith and bearing the Serial No. 440,933. i

The t pe of structure 10 in connection with which the present invention is adapted to be employed comprises a plurality of relatively movable parts. In the particular case herein set forth the structure 10 comprises two parts A and 13 connected together at one end by a vertical hinge pin 13, and having their other ends adapted to swing to open and close the elevator. As means for connectin the free ends of. the parts A and B when t e structure is arranged around a casing a T-shaped latch 15 is mounted on the part A to cooperate with suitable lugs to the shaft 27. The spring 20 tends at all times to rotate the she 27 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1. The lugs 16 on part B are spaced and arranged so that when-the parts A and B are together,

as around a casing, the shank 17 of the latch 15 passes between the two lugs allowin the head lg to pass behind or outside of the age. The head 18 of the latch 15 is adapted to engage the front surface of the lugs 16 as the parts A and B. are moved together, thus causing the latch 15 to be swung outwardly against the resistance of spring 20 until the parts A-and B are'tog ether and the head is in position to drop behind the lugs 16. When the head 18 of the latch 15 is behind the lugs 16 the parts A and B are held together. the latch 15 being held in locked osition by the spring 26.- The su uctuie t. as

lllltl invention may be embodied. It is therefore to be understood that the present invention is not in any way limited or restricted to this particular form of connecting means or in fact to any specific form of connecting means.

In combining a typical form of the present invention with the particular latch device hereinabove set forth the part B is provided with a recess 30 at apoint between the lu 16. The latch 15 is provided at its inner side with a lug 31 adapted to extend into the recess 30 when the parts A and B are latched together, as illustrated throughout the drawings. There is a vertical openlng 35 in the part B above the recess 30 and opening downwardly into the recess 30. .The upper portion 36 of the opening 35 is round and somewhat smallerthan the bottom portion 37, which is square. There is a vertical square opening 38 in the projection 31 positioned in the projection to register with the opening 35 when the lug 31 is in place in the recess 30. .The opening 35 opens upwardly into a notch 40 1n the part B, and a rod 41, round in cross section at its upper end and square in cross section at its lower end, is arranged in the opening 35 so that its upper end portion extends through the upper portion 36 of the opening 35 and upwardly through the notch 40 while its lower end portion is slidably carried in the lower portion 37 of the opening 35. At the upper end of the .rod 41 is mounted a head 43 at the two ends of which are downwardly extending lugs 44. The head 43 extends over a portlon of the art A and also a portion of the part B and recesses 45 are formed in the parts A and B to receive the head 43 so that it can be arranged in engagement with the two parts A and B and have its upper surface 47 flush with the up er surfaces 48 of the parts A and B. uitable notches 49 are provided in the recesses 45 to receive the. projections 44. A compression spring 50 is arranged in the notch 40 between the part B and the head 43 to tend at all times to press the head upwardly and thereby cause the rod 41 to assume the osition shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. The rod 41 is limited in its upward movementby its squared portion reaching the upper end portion of the opening 35 through ch is cannot pass. It will be obvious, of course, how various means other than the particular one herein set forth may be provided for limiting the upward movement of the rod 41. Vhen the rod 41 is in the up position as shown in Figs. 2 and 3,. its squared'portion is wholly within the squared .taining the lug 31 in the recess 30. A portion of the opening 35 being squared and a portion of the rod 41 bein correspondingly squared to slidably fit within the squared portion of the opening 35 holds the rod 41 so that it cannot rotate and thereby allow the head 43 to get into a position where it will not seat in the recesses 45 when the rod is moved downwardly.

In the operation of the device the parts A and B are placed around a casing 60, the latch device automatically operating to connect them in this position in'the manner hereinabove described. The structure 10 is then lifted or moved upwardly by the links 11, causing the upper surface 47 of the head 43 to engage the lower edge 61 of the casing collar 62. As the structure 10 continues to move upwardly the head 43 seats in the recesses 45 with the projection 44 in the notches 49, and the squared portion of the rod 41 extends downwardly into the opening 38 in projection 31 in the manner hereinabove described. When the head 43 is completely seated in the recesses 45 and the lug 31 is positively retained in the recess 30, the upper faces 48 of the arts A and B are in engagement with the ower edge 61 of the casing collar so that further upward movement of the structure 10 will cause lifting of the casing. The lugs 44 in extending into the notches 49 positively hold or retain the upper portion of the free ends of parts A and B together, while the squared portion of the rod 41 positively locks the projection 38 in the recess 30 andtherefore the latch 15 in place behind the lugs 16. When the structure 10 is lowered away from the collar 62 the spring 50 for es the head 43 and rod 41 upwardly until they reach the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3. whereupon the latch 15 can be easily released or swung outwardly to allow the structure 10 to be opened and removed from the casing. It may be said that the operation of the positive locking means is automatic. As the structure 10 is put into operation, by being moved to engagement with the collar 62, the positive locking means automaticallv positively locks the parts A and B and the latch mechanism, simultapeously, so that the structure 10 is lib securely and positively held against releasement. When the structure is relieved of its load and is in position to be released from the casing the positive locking means has become released so that it does not in any way interfere with the releasement of the latch. In practice it is preferred that the spring 50 be comparatively heavy or strong so that it will be sure to lift the head and rod from the down position. Although I prefer to provide means for directly holding the parts A and B together when the latch deviceis positively locked, it will be obvious how the latch device might be positively locked without the means for directly holding the parts A and B, and how the means for directly holding the parts A and y B might be provided without the positive locking of the latch device. lln practice it is of particular advantage that the positive locking device should be automatic as it eliminates all possibility of a workman forgetting or failing to set the positive locking device and thereby leave the elevator in condition where it might possibly release while in operation.

Having described a preferred form of my invention, ll claim:

1. ln a device of the character described embodying two relatively movable members adapted to embrace a casing. the combination of a latch to releasably connect the members in position embracing the casing, and a separate means to independently connect the members in said position and lock the latch.

2. lln a device of the character described embodying two relatively movable members adapted to embrace a casing the combination of, a latch to releasably connect the members in position embracing the casing,

and a separate means to independently con till till nect the members at a point removed from the latch.

3. In a device of the character described embodying two relatively movable members adapted to embrace a casing the combination of, a latch to releasably connect the members on the casing, and a separate means actuated by the casing collar to connect the members and lock the latch when in its latching position.

4. A device of he character described, comprising two clamping and holding members hinged to ether and adapted to embrace between t' em a casing, said members each having a recess. a latch adapted to releasably connect said members in position embracing the casing, a rod carried by one of the members adapted to be actuated to lock the latch in its latching position and a part in connection with the rod adapted to seat in the recess and directly connect the members when the rod is in its latch locking position.

. 5. A device of 'the' character described, comprising twoclamping and holding members hinged together and adapted to embrace between them a casing, said members each having a notched recess, a latch adapted to releasably connect said members in position embracing the casing, a rod carried by one of the members adapted to be actuated to lock the latch in its latching position. a member in connection with the rod to yieldingly hold it out of its latch locking position, a member on the rod, and projections on said member, the member and projections being adapted to seat in the notched recesses when the rod is in its latch locking position to directly connect the members.

6. A device of the character described, comprising two clamping and holding members hinged together and adapted to embrace between them a casing, each of said members having an upwardly facing notched recess and one of said members having an opening, a latch adapted to releasably connect said members in position embracing the casing, the latch having an opening adapted to register with the first mentioned opening when the latch is in its latching position, a rod carried in said first mentioned opening adapted to be actuated to extend into the opening in the latch when the two openings are in register, a head on the rod adapted to fit within the recess when the rod is in actuated position, projections on the head to extend into the notches of the recesses when the rod is in actuated position, means for holding the various parts in position so that the head and projections will properly cooperate with the notched recesses when the rod is actuated, and means to normally yieldingly 105 hold the rod in its unactuated position in 1gvhich position the head is above said memers.

7. In combination Witha casing having a collar, an elevator for the cas1ng comlm prising two clamping and holding meme bers hinged together and adapted to embrace between them the casing, each of said members having an upwardly facing notched recess and one of said members having an opening, a latch adapted to re leasably connect said members in position embracing the casing, the latch having an opening adapted to register with the first mentioned opening when the latch is in its i so that the head and projections will properly cooperate with the notched recesses when the rod is actuated, and means-to normally yieldingly hold the rod in its unactuated position in Which position the head is above said members, said rod. being adapted to be actuated by engagement of the ably connect the members in position emwith the casing. Y

9. A device of the character described,

bracing the casing, the latch having an opening to register with the first mentioned opening when the latch is in its latchin position, a rod carried in the first mentioned opening adapted to be actuated to extend into the opening in the latch, and a spring in connection with the rod to normally yieldingly. hold the rod in an unactuated position where its outer end extends beyond said members, the rod being adapted to be actuated by the'outer end of the rod engaging the collar of the casing upon the members being moved into engagement comprising two relatively movab casing embracing members, a latch to hold the members in casing embracing position, a locking member separate from the latch and engageable with the latch to lock'it in latching position, and a head on the locking member adapted to be engaged by the easing and to engage said members to hold them in casing embracin position.

10. A device of the c aracter described comprising two relativelymovable casin embracing members, a latch to connect an hold the members in casing embracing position, and another connecting member separate from the latch and adapted to be actuated by reason of engagement with the casing collar to connect the casin embracing members independently of t eir connection by the latch.

CHARLES E. WILCOX. Witness:

VIRGINIA BERINGER. 

